The shield was considered a medicine object among the Blackfeet people and was treated with the same great care and reverence as other medicine bundles. If the shield were to be transferred to another, it had to be exchanged in a formal ritual.

As Terpning explains the ceremony, first a smudge would be made inside the tepee. The shield would be passed through the sacred smoke four times, four being considered a magical number by Plains Indians. The recipient of the shield was painted with yellow earth over the face and hands, the face would then be streaked by drawing the fingertips downward. A red transverse band was painted across the mouth. Four drums were beaten and special songs were sung. The seller then took up the shield and dodged about, pretending to avoid blows or arrow strikes, as in a fight. At the end of the ceremony, the recipient paid the former owner with a horse.

Howard Terpningís Transferring the Medicine Shield was chosen to become an Anniversary Edition Fine Art Canvas because it is a masterpiece in the study of Native American rituals. It is a story of the harmony of the Plains People with their environment; of color and design; and of an artist with his subject. Be one of the few to own one of the finest works from one the greatest artists to ever paint the American West.

Howard TerpningQuite simply, Howard Terpning is one of the most lauded painters of Western
art. His awards are so numerous and he is honored with them so often, that to
list them would require changing the count every few months. To name three
would be to cite the highest prizes awarded to Western art: countless awards
from the Cowboy Artists of America, the Hubbard Art Award for Excellence, the
National Academy of Western Artís Prix de West and the Lifetime Achievement
Award from the Autry National Center.
Why such praise? Passion, compassion, devotion and respect for his subject
matter, extraordinary talent in palette and brushstroke, an exceptional
ability to evoke emotion both in his paintings and from those viewing them ó
all this and more has made Terpning the "Storyteller of the Native American."
Born in Illinois and educated at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and the
American Academy of Art, he first gained attention with his captivating
advertising and story illustrations. Film fans praised his movie posters for
such classics as The Sound of Music, Dr. Zhivago and the re-issue of Gone with
the Wind. But his love of the West and Native American traditions saw his
transition to fine art.
Terpning is an Emeritus member of the Cowboy Artists of America, active for 22
years, during which time he was presented with a total of 41 awards. His book,
The Art of Howard Terpning won the Wrangler "Outstanding Art Book" award from
the National Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Terpning was recently honored with a one-man show at the Eiteljorg Museum of
American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana featuring 30 of the
artistís most distinguished works where he was presented with the Lifetime
Achievement Award. This career milestone was further celebrated with the
publication of Spirit of the Plains People (2001, Greenwich Workshop Press).
Terpning is the recipient of the Autry National Center, 2005 Masters of the
American West Thomas Moran Memorial Award, given in recognition of exceptional
artistic merit for painting.